Lunch
by evamalia
Summary: While attempting to be more attentive of her duties, Evangelyne finds herself musing about a certain princess instead. Set a few years before canon.


The snapping fingers of a passing servant were the first real sounds the Cra acknowledged in well over fifteen minutes. She shook her head frantically in a vain attempt to empty it of the less-than-professional thoughts that fluttered about in those moments, raked her fingers through her pale blonde hair, and then settled her gaze back on the object of her affection: a royal Sadida not a head shorter than herself. Said Sadida was sitting at a table next to her older brother - the crown prince - enjoying the company of their kingdom's military for a lunch consisting of a bowl of some vegetation or another. The soft snap, however, caught her attention, as she was now waving her over to sit with them.

"Evangelyne!" she called, a smile lighting her chestnut-hued featured. Evangelyne noted how her hair, along with the hair of every other Sadida in the canteen, was beginning to shift from its iconic green color, to warmer shades to match the change of the season from summer to autumn. The princess' specifically, was setting into a deep orange color. It almost reminded Evangelyne of carrots.

She brought her hand up to her face, index knuckle to lips, in brief embarrassment after smiling and shaking her head in refusal. Once she turned back to her conversation, shrugging at her bodyguard's insistence on not joining them, Eva began to take note of the slight changes in her surroundings. Some of the soldiers had switched seats and it looked like most of them were at least halfway done with their midday meal. So that means that she'd been standing across the canteen, watching her beloved princess Amalia for at least 10 minutes or so when you consider how quickly they all eat, conversing or not.

Could it really have been that long? Evangelyne could feel a heated hue paint her freckle-splattered cheeks when she thought back to the things on her mind. She should've been observing Amalia more diligently. It was her duty as her bodyguard to ensure her safety. Daydreaming is unacceptable! But when she set her eyes back on her assigned charge, she couldn't help but feel the oh-so familiar, but still oh-so embarrassing flutter in the pits of her stomach. Her head could become light with hopes of being closer to her, smiling with her, laughing with her, holding her hands, holding her close, caressing her cheeks, kissing her lips-

The Cra managed to catch herself this time, shaking her head frantically, face as red as a tomato. How unpleasant! She's been Amalia's bodyguard for years, seven or eight now, and this has never been this much of a problem before. She'd always been diligent, responsive, and relatively close to the Sadida; it's safe to assume that they were each the closest friend the other had. But it seemed like lately she wanted to be... more? That would never be possible. A simple lowborn Cra bodyguard with the princess of the Sadida Kingdom? That is the contents of fairy tales and bedtime stories and nothing more.

Before Eva could pull herself out of her thoughts again, she felt a hand grasp hers and tug her away from the wall where she stationed herself.

"You seriously look so lonely all by yourself, Eva," Amalia commented, patting the spot at the table next to where she was seating herself. "You're probably pretty hungry too! I know you don't really care for this stuff, but it's definitely not healthy to starve yourself..."

While initially a bit petrified, as just about everyone at the table suddenly turned their attention to her, Evangelyne eventually complied with her princess' wishes. A servant handed her a bowl of the grassy food and she dug in with the intention of easing Amalia's mind and nothing more. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the leafy-haired princess smile, which resulted in her smiling as well, albeit with a mouth full of grass.

It was little things like this that made her realize that she really did love her.


End file.
